Rockingham blood donor helps save lives for 50 years

ROCKINGHAM 70-year-old Wayne Goodsell has saved the lives of many unborn babies.

Mr Goodsell has racked up 394 blood donations and is part of a special group of blood donors with a rare blood type.

“When I was 19 years old I was involved in a car crash and was brought back to life a couple of times,” he said.

“I required 24 pints of blood; it saved my life.

“I vowed to pay it back by donating blood and I’ve been doing it for 50 years.”

Mr Goodsell is one of 19 blood donors in WA who are part of the Anti-D Program.

His donated plasma is used to make lifesaving Anti-D injections for pregnant women with a negative blood type.

Anti-D prevents the mother’s blood from harming her baby in utero when their blood types are incompatible, and protects them from haemolytic disease of the newborn, which can cause severe anaemia and stillbirth.

In Australia, 17 per cent of all pregnant women are at risk, and there are only 150 Australian donors whose blood is able to protect these babies.

As part of its Anti-D 50th anniversary celebrations, the Blood Service is issuing a call for more donors to follow in the footsteps of Anti-D donors by donating plasma.